According to local reports and regional ministries, one million Muslims in the Islamic country have become Christians while tens of thousands of mosques have been closed. In February, Iranian senior cleric Mohammed Abolghasem Doulabe said 50,000 of the country’s 75,000 mosques had been closed. closure This is due to a significant drop in attendance.
At the same time, Muslims are finding Jesus, and according to the International Radio Mission, about one million Muslims in Iran have become Christians. Trends And a new report CBN.
Todd Nettleton, vice president of messaging for Voice of the Martyrs, said many Iranians are looking for hope.
“Iran is a country with one of the highest drug addiction rates in the world, rampant corruption and more than half of its people living below the poverty line,” Nettleton told CBN. “The Iranian people are looking at this and saying, ‘Wait a minute. If this is what Islam has given us in the last 45 years, we’re not interested. We want to know what other options there are.'”
December investigation A poll of Iranians by the Netherlands-based Gaman Institute found that 80 percent reject the Islamic Republic and want a democratic government.
Nettleton said the possibility of a “Jesus revolution” in Iran has sparked a backlash from the Islamic government. Conversion from Islam to Christianity is illegal in Iran.
“This does not please the regime, and in fact, they are trying in many different ways to consolidate their power and suppress any and all dissent,” Nettleton told CBN. “We’ve heard multiple stories this year of Bible studies and local churches being raided. Everyone there is photographed and questioned. And the leaders of the meetings are detained. They are arrested, detained and thrown in prison.”
Don Schenck, executive director of The Tide Ministries, said Muslims are responding to the gospel-centered message being broadcast to Iran.
“I’ve had listeners respond, ‘I realize that God loves me. I always thought he wanted to punish me,'” Schenck told CBN. “I think there’s an awakening happening not just in Iran but throughout the Islamic world.”
Open Doors, an international mission organization said Christianity in Iran is only tolerated if “one is part of a traditional Christian community, for example Armenian or Assyrian Christians.”
But “there is not even an apparent tolerance” for “Christians who have converted from Islam,” Open Doors said.
“The government views proselytism as a Western attempt to undermine Islam and Iran’s Islamic government,” Open Doors reported. “This means that anyone found to be a member of a house church can be charged with crimes against national security, which can lead to long prison sentences. Those arrested or detained face torture and ill-treatment in prison. Some Christians have been released and are under supervision, but they know that re-arrest means a long prison sentence.”
Schenck’s Ministry “The Tide” Reported “What is happening in Iran is just the tip of the iceberg, as similar movements for Christ are occurring throughout the Islamic world,” the ministry said, adding that it is not unusual for Muslims to dream about Jesus.
“Testimonies of Jesus appearing to Muslims in dreams have one thing in common: the dream itself does not lead to immediate conversion,” a blog on The Tide’s website states. “Rather, it is a step on a spiritual journey, with God breaking down some of the barriers that may have resulted from growing up in the Islamic faith. After having these dreams, Muslims are often led to believers who relate to them.”
WATCH: Iran’s Jesus Revolution? One Million Muslims Accept Christ, Mosques Shut Down | CBN News
Photo credit: ©YouTube/CBN News
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
